High Court Grants Relief to Congress Leader Partap Singh Bajwa, Stays Arrest Till April 22

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): The Punjab & Haryana High Court has granted a stay on the arrest of senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa until April 22. This decision comes in connection with a case filed against him for grenades remarks made during an interview with a private news channel. He did not get much relief from the High Court. It has been stated that Pratap Singh Bajwa will be required to appear whenever summoned by the police and must fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation. 

Key Highlights

 Stay on Arrest: The High Court has stayed Bajwa's arrest until April 22, providing him temporary relief.

 Notice to State Government: The court has issued a notice to the State of Punjab and the next hearing is scheduled for April 22.

 Restrictions on Public Statements: Bajwa has been directed to refrain from making any public statements regarding the subject matter of the case.

Background of the Case

The case against Partap Singh Bajwa was registered by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Mohali based on a complaint. Bajwa's counsel, APS Deol, argued that the FIR was based solely on a lady constable's observation and lacked proper investigation. Despite this, Bajwa cooperated with the police investigation, revealing the sources of his information during the questioning. His counsel also asserted that the sections of law imposed were not legally sustainable and the FIR was not valid. The Punjab Government and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) assert that Bajwa's statement was aimed at disseminating false information and creating fear among the public. It is important to note that Pratap Singh Bajwa filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR registered against him. In an interview with a private news channel on April 13, Bajwa had claimed that 50 grenades had reached Punjab—18 of which had already exploded, while 32 were still unexploded. Following this statement, he found himself embroiled in controversy.